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Marxist Theory in Film
In Film History and Analysis
fnguo_amy
Sep 23, 2024
Marxist Theory What is it about Marxist Theory in films? And how is it portrayed in different countries/different times Marxism is a political, social and economic philosophy. The gap and conflicts between different classes in the society are the focus of this theory, hence marxist theory can be seen in films while the movies somehow discuss the focuses on this theory.  Some prominent xamples of films in different regions and times are as follows: Soviet Union and Early Socialist Cinema (1920s-1930s) Examples: Battleship Potemkin (1925), October (1928) Western Europe (1940s-1970s) Examples: The Bicycle Thieves (1948), The Battle of Algiers (1966) Modern Cinema (1990s-present) Examples: Parasite (2019), Sorry We Missed You (2019) How does The Parasite confirm the theory in film Two families having completely opposite economics conditions are portrayed in this movie, shown as an application of Marxist theory by drawing a clear line between them. The poorer family acts as the 'parasite', who relies on the rich family for survival. By constructing the dramatic relationship between the two families, and how the poorer family survive using extreme approaches, conflicts between them and the tragedy at the end all convey the theme of social inequality 1. Samy, Sagar. “Film Analysis of Parasite in the Light of Marxism.” International Journal of Literature and Arts (2023): n. pag. Print. 2. https://www.historicalmaterialism.org/marxism-cinema-daniel-fairfax/ 3. https://www.filmtheory.org/marxist-theory-on-films/
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Louis Malle
In Film History and Analysis
fnguo_amy
Mar 22, 2024
Introduction: He’s a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Malle made documentaries, romances, period dramas, and thrillers. He often depicted provocative or controversial subject matter. Malle's most famous works include the crime thriller Elevator to the Gallows (1958), the romantic drama The Lovers (1958), the World War II drama Lacombe, Lucien (1974), the period drama Pretty Baby (1978), etc. Tackling Challenging Themes: At the crossroads of the New Wave, he tackled all subjects, defying the restrictions and taboos that constricted ‘proper’ French society. Malle did not hesitate to explore unpopular themes, and he was equally skilled treating such themes as French collaboration with the Nazis, child prostitution. One of his film Lacombe, Lucien (1974) was about a French boy who collaborated with Nazis during the German occupation of France in World War II. In the 1970s, Pretty Baby (based on the life of photographer Ernest J. Bellocq) and Murmur of the Heart provoked considerable controversy. With the collaboration of Jean-Claude Carrière, he produced May Fools, a surreal and hilarious depiction of the bourgeoisie in the aftermath of May 1968. Filmmaking style: While showing the theme of war in his films, he avoids talking about it directly. In one of his interview, he said: It was between Munich and the beginning of the Second World War, and I was deeply disturbed by the state of mind of French society and the world in general. It seemed to me that one way of interpreting this state of mind would be to avoid talking about it directly and tell a light-hearted story instead. For inspiration I looked to Beaumarchais, to Marivaux, to the classical authors, and to the field of comedy. His experiences of studying at a Roman Catholic school in Fontainebleau that sheltered Jewish boys during World War II, inspired his production of the film Goodbye, Children (1987), which became one of his best-known films.  Resources: https://www.newwavefilm.com/french-new-wave-encyclopedia/louis-malle.shtml https://www.britannica.com/biography/Louis-Malle https://2022.festival-lumiere.org/en/programme/louis-malle-prog.html
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